5 Tasting Notes

Part of a sampler provided by DAVIDs on my most recent order – and one I had no intention of trying but I am very glad they pushed me a free cup! In the past I have had some negative experience with Rooibos (granted it was lower quality), finding the taste displeasing and more akin to water used to wash macaroni noodles with a hint of something slightly fruity. Coco Chai Rooibos tastes absolutely nothing like I feared it would.

The dry leaf smell is one of the most pronounced I’ve ever come across, especially for a chai. The coconut and spice notes fill the head pleasingly, even the harsh bite of the peppercorn is welcome in such good company. Once brewed, I took a test sip and noted just how strong the spice profile was. The pink peppercorn stood up front, but the tea was clean enough where you could feel the other flavors swirling around it. The cinnamon coexists with the peppercorn very nicely and segue’s into the sweetness of the cloves and ginger. As the sip completed, a nice refreshing coconut trailed off.

As with other chais, I added milk to the brew to see how it would affect it. The spices hold up better than some other Chais I’ve had but the Coconut is what really stands out when milk is added. It’s delightfully exotic and another excellent chai from DAVIDs. Best of all, it’s caffeine free so you can enjoy it closer to bedtime and not have to worry about being up all night!

Preparation

From a sample packet provided with an online order. Lime Gelato is very light and feels just like a creamy treat. It also tastes and smells exactly like one, smoothing so many incredible flavors together. It’s not too sweet either, I never felt as if a few bulldozers of sugar had plowed their way over my cup.

Refreshing and pleasant, tart yet milky. I am sure this would make an outstanding summer beverage over ice.

Preparation

Since it’s finally snowed in my area for the first time this winter I felt there was to be no better opportunity than to bust out this Chai, which I received as a sampler packet in my latest order from DAVIDs.

Upon opening the packet I was greeted with a highly pleasurable chocolate smell, with a small hint of the red chilis. This carries over to the finished steeped product, where the chocolate remains the most upfront characteristic. As the sip finishes you can detect the chilis and black tea trailing after the chocolate, but the chili flavor is very subtle and does not bring a ton of heat as many fans of the Scoville Scale might have been hoping for.

While not as spicy as other Chais it is most delicious and a warming alternative to hot chocolate on bitterly cold days. May try brewing directly in carefully prepared milk as I’ve done with some other Chais to see what, if anything, it does for the flavor.

Preparation

Received as a sampler packet from an online order with Davids. One and a half teaspoons of very fruity smelling tea steeped for 4 minutes. The aroma that enveloped the area by the stove as I steeped was lovely, pale hints of the pomegranate teasing me towards the cup. Highly unusual for me as I tend to find a lot of pomegranate flavors overbearing and unfavorable.

The tea itself is not as colorful in the palette as the nose suggests – The pomegranate is subdued and very pleasant. The mixture of black and green teas offers a medium bodied liquor base, which fills in some of the blanks but is perhaps too hefty for the lightness expected. Grew a little bitter as the tea cooled.

It’s an interesting middle ground attempted here, but I feel it may have been better suited either going more in the fruity direction and staying with the green tea rather than both green and black mixed.